RECENT ARTICLES

You could easily say that freelance writer, professional blogger, public speaker, coach, 3:11 Marathoner, wife and mother of three Dorothy Beal has a lot on her plate.
Like many of us with busy lives outside of our training, Dorothy has had to learn how...

This week we introduce, certified nutritionist, award winning speaker, best selling author, running coach, certified rafting guide, AND the new host of the Run To The Top podcast, Stephanie Atwood.
Stephanie is the founder of Go Wow Living and host of...

We’re doing a coaching deep dive again this week with another of our athletes, Pam Rountree.
Pam recently completed two marathons with seven weeks of training in between, but no significant improvement in her time. She would like to reach her goal in...

We’re doing something a little different today on Run To The Top and we hope you find it helpful.
One of our athletes, Wayne Jimenez, recently DNF’d a marathon at mile 16 and was not sure why. He has completed marathons and half-Iron Mans, but just...

We’ve long known the biggest barriers in running are those we create in our own heads, but according to Alex Hutchinson and the latest research, there are ways we can bypass these barriers to push farther and faster.
A National Magazine Award-winning...

It’s that time of year again when most runners are starting the real meat of their training plan.
The recovery period is over, you’ve had your few weeks of building back into a plan, and now the real work begins.
But, when was the last time...

If an airplane wing is too rigid, the plane will crash, and according to author and marathoner Duncan Larkin, the same is true for us runners.
When we adhere too closely to our training plans or even, as Duncan says, the tenets of his own books, we don’t...

The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club.
The second rule of Fight Club? You know how it goes.
Lucky for us, the opposite is true for the founders of November Project, a fitness movement popularly known as the “Fight Club”...

While most of us know we need to do strength work to truly see results, according to Jay Dicharry, this is a waste of time without also practicing movement and mobility.
One of America’s leading physical therapists and the author of Anatomy for Runners,...

As we enter the bell lap for 2017, I wanted to do something a little special for this week’s episode.
Just as it’s good to reflect back on a season and extract all the learning moments, I wanted to reflect back on the best lessons from Run to the...

Running can be tough in the best of times, but when the pain keeps getting worse until you cannot run another step, well, that is heartbreaking.
If you feel like the pain is coming from anywhere along the muscle on the outside of your thigh from your...

If you ever have thoughts and feelings you wish you didn’t, there’s a good chance you’re human.
But there are ways to put a stop to those thoughts and feelings, and that’s where Dr. Simon Marshall comes in.
A competitive triathlete and world-renowned...

What should I eat before I run?
It’s an age-old question faced by many runners both new to the sport and those who have been training seriously and are looking to fine tune their training diet.
While you won’t find one specific super food...

He’s back! World renowned dietitian and exercise physiologist Bob Seebohar joins us again to delve deeper into the growing research surrounding his two concepts of metabolic efficiency training (MET) and nutrition periodization.
If you listened to...

It’s hard to get too far into reading about training without encountering the phrase “vo2 max” or hearing about “VO2 max testing.”
But what is VO2 max and how does it relate to runners?
When VO2 max tests were largely the...

Our guest this week is an incredible guitar player, amazing singer song-writer, and the best audio editor you could ask for, and I’m not just saying all that because he’ll be reading this while he edits the show.
If you haven’t already guessed,...

In a constant quest to run faster and further, we should not as runners be surprised when from time to time things start hurting. Performance gains come from forced adaption, i.e. your body will only adapt if you force it to work through sufficient load.
Just...

Michael Hammond is a graduate of Virginia Tech where he competed in cross country and track, earning two ACC titles and four NCAA All-American honors. His individual efforts led his team to four ACC team championships: one in cross country, two in indoor...

Sharp pains in your arch or foot. Visible inflammation along the tendon. Stiffness in your ankle joint. A popping sensation. Sore to the touch.
Do any of those sound familiar?
If so, you probably have Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (Posterior Tibial...

Telling people that you run marathons usually prompts some dumbfounded expressions, but tell them you run ultras and, let’s face it, they’ll probably think you’re nuts. But that’s just a day in the life for Georgia native, Nathan Maxwell.
Like...

Runners run races.
We train hard. Set big goals. And start and finish many races but what does “racing” really mean?
Are you still racing if you’re not standing on a podium afterward with award money or prizes?
Are you satisfied with your finish...

1. The world’s best are gritty.
2. The world’s best are clear on their purpose.
3. The world’s best become a master of their thoughts.
4. The world’s best know themselves to master yourself.
5. The world’s best dominate...

As runners, we accept that there is a certain amount of risk involved with our sport. When we are well into our Marathon Training Schedule, Hooked On Trail Running, or a first 5k, we hear about the high injury rates. And know that there is a good chance...

Author, coach, and nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald started running at the age of eleven when he completed the last mile of the 1983 Boston Marathon with his father (who had run the whole thing) and his two brothers.
By that time Matt was already a writer...

When you think of dietitians, you probably think of, well, diets.
It’s right there in the name, and most dietitians are devoted to helping people follow regulated diets that will, in theory, make them healthier.
Heather Caplan isn’t like most dietitians....

Unless you’ve spent a bit of time on the track you can finding it to be a very intimidating place. And confusing. Very confusing.
I mean do you honestly understand all those marks everywhere? Seemingly placed in random fashion. As if they are a...

Running isn’t always forgiving.
Between injuries, mental ruts, and the curve balls life sometimes throws at us, finding long term success and remaining engaged in the sport can be incredibly difficult, and that’s why Jonathan Beverly’s new book...

Any of these sound familiar? Ever blamed your injury on one or more one of the following?
I don’t stretch enough
I’m an overpronator
I need to stop heel-striking
I should be running at 180 steps per minute
The fact is, many runners are...

Now known as the “Acupuncturist for Skeptics”, Sarah Hammer Stevens wasn’t always a believer in this holistic therapy.
A longtime runner, Sarah was training for the Portland Marathon a few years ago when she sustained a knee injury that threatened...